robert gesink

March 10, 2013

Field Narrows; Kruijswijk Holds Fulcrum Going into Finale

Steven Kruijswijk

Steven Kruijswijk

After 14 abandons during Stage 6 of the 2013 Paris-Nice spring classic, Steven Kruijswijk of the Blanco Pro Cycling Team found himself at the center of the overall race, the Point d’Appui, going into the final stage.

Kruijswijk is 33 minutes and 27 seconds behind race leader Richie Porte and 46 minutes and change ahead of Blanco teammate, Rick Flens, the latest Lanterne Rouge.

Surrounding Kruijswijk are notable contenders: Vasil Kiryienka, the Point d’Appui of the 2012 Tour de France, is just a place ahead, and Remi Pauriol, who held the Point d’Appui after Stage 2 of the 2012 Vuelta, is one second behind Kruijswijk.

Kruijswijk, who took a tumble earlier in the Paris-Nice race, saw some success in 2011 while riding under the RaboBank colors, reaching the podium of the Tour de Suisse as the third-place finisher. He also finished eighth at the Giro d’Italia. During Paris-Nice, he has been riding in support of teammate Robert Gesink, but Gesink bowed out of Paris-Nice before the end of Stage 6 along with two other Blanco riders, Mark Renshaw and Wilco Kelderman. This leaves Kruijswijk as the team leader for Blanco.

The rider with the time closest to median time for the overall race is once again Mattia Cattaneo of Lampre-Merida. Cattaneo held the median time after Stage 4 as well and also was on the cusp of the fulcrum after Stage 3.

On the stage, Ivan Basso of Cannondale finished at the fulcrum.

June 30, 2012

Preview of the 2012 Tour de France

The preview for the Point d’Appui in the 2012 Tour de France is not good, not bad, somewhere in between. The defending Point d’Appui, Markel Irizar, was left home by Radio Shack, perhaps because of his wonderful break on the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Irizar got in the break with five other riders at about the 4 kilometer mark. The peloton gave them almost too much room, but the escapees let the mob back in by fighting among themselves. Irizar, though, got a jump on the break group and stayed away until 5 kilometer mark.

Likewise, Fabio Sabatini, who won the fulcrum at the Giro d’Italia, is not at the Tour de France.

Other contenders include:

  • George Hincapie of BMC may have the best shot. He is clearly looking to ride in support of the BMC team leader, Cadel Evans, or whomever pedals forward if Evans isn’t back to his 2012 form. Hincapie finished on the cusp of both the Tour of Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix. This is his last chance to be the camel’s back.
  • Marco Marzano, riding for Lampre-ISD, is another possibility. Marzano finished in the Point d’Appui at the Dauphiné, riding with perfectly fine form.
  • Vasil Kiryienka of Movistar Team took home the Point d’Appui in the Tour de Romandie and is another possibility.
  • Robert Gesink of Rabobank is probably a long-shot, having won the Point d’Appui at Liége-Bastogne-Liége, and long-shots rarely fall to the middle, although several stages this year favor him.
April 22, 2012

Rabobank’s Gesink Finishes at LBL Fulcrum

Robert Gesink of Rabobank Cycling Team finished 57th among 113 finishers to grab the Point d’Appui of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the spring classic with Bastogne as its own point d’appui between Liège and Liège.

Gesink, who hails from the Netherlands, finished in a pack at 5:39 behind the winner, Maxim Iglinsky of Astana, and 9 minutes ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Dennis Vanendert of Lotto Belisol Team.